The 22-year-old has been tipped for future Scotland honours along with former Jags team-mate Liam Lindsay, who left for Barnsley last summer.

Archibald said: “I remember putting him and Liam in against Celtic when they were both 18 I think. I got a bit of stick for doing so but they acquitted themselves very well and Jack went on to get a great move to Wigan.

“It was great for the club as well. We had a player who had played a handful of games and we would never have stepped in his way. At that time, we probably needed the money. Our gates were down I think and fixtures weren’t too kind, so that money helped us.

“We knew Jack was available in the summer but we had just about got Niall Keown over the line so that’s why we didn’t go back in for him.

“His career probably stalled a little bit in terms of the loan moves he got down there but it shows there’s a bit about the player that he believes in his own ability to come back up and have a wonderful season and earn a move to Celtic.”